Gambling Commission defends taking no action on BetBright closure – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2019 in consumer protection, gambling, insolvency, news by sally

‘The Gambling Commission has defended its handling of the controversial closure of the online bookmaker BetBright, which decided to void bets with a potential payout of around £1m when it ceased operations last week, saying that customers of the firm would have received nothing back had the firm gone into liquidation.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th March 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ofcom stiffens rules for broadband providers – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 4th, 2019 in codes of practice, consumer protection, internet, news by sally

‘Broadband providers in the UK must promise customers a minimum guaranteed speed for their service at the point of sale under a new code of practice developed by telecoms regulator Ofcom that takes effect today.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st March 2019

Source: www.out-law.com

O2 rapped by Ofcom for slowing down video streaming – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 6th, 2019 in consumer protection, internet, news, telecommunications, video recordings by tracey

‘One of Britain’s biggest mobile phone operators has been criticised by Ofcom for compressing the quality of pictures and videos on its data network for millions of customers, downgrading their quality against net neutrality rules. The telecoms and broadcasting regulator forced O2, which has 25 million UK users, to make changes to its service that managed its network traffic and affected the quality of videos that users streamed or downloaded.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th February 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Hotel booking sites to end ‘misleading’ sales – BBC News

Posted February 6th, 2019 in advertising, consumer protection, hotels, internet, news by tracey

‘Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda, Hotels.com, ebookers and trivago have been investigated over pressure selling and misleading discount claims, the competition watchdog says.’

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BBC News, 6th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BSB agrees new transparency rules for the Bar – Bar Standards Board

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) last night agreed new rules to improve transparency standards for barristers’ clients. Subject to Legal Services Board (LSB) approval, the new rules will come into force in May 2019, with compliance spot-checking by the regulator starting from 2020.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 1st February 2019

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Plastic surgeons call for tougher UK rules on dermal fillers – The Guardian

Posted January 29th, 2019 in consumer protection, cosmetic surgery, news by sally

‘A growing number of botched dermal filler procedures in the UK has prompted plastic surgeons to warn that better regulation is needed to protect patients from rogue practitioners.’

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The Guardian, 29th January 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK consulting on overhaul of allergen labelling laws – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 29th, 2019 in allergies, consultations, consumer protection, food, labelling, news by sally

‘The UK government has announced a consultation into the rules governing allergen information on food which is prepacked and ready to eat.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th January 2019

Source: www.out-law.com

Tougher food labelling proposed to prevent allergy deaths – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 25th, 2019 in allergies, consultations, consumer protection, food, labelling, news by tracey

‘The Government has set out new proposals to toughen food labelling laws and protect the two million food allergy suffers across the country. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has launched a consultation into food labelling laws focusing on overhauling the labelling of pre-prepared foods such as sandwiches and salads which are made, packaged and sold in the same stores.’

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Daily Telegraph, 25th January 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Scam victims whose losses are not ‘life changing’ will receive no redress, under bank plans – Daily Telegraph

‘Scam victims whose losses are not considered to be “life changing” could be excluded from a new compensation scheme under proposals by one of Britain’s biggest banks.’

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Daily Telegraph, 24th January 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Students banned from accessing university emails for failing to pay rent, going against CMA rules – Daily Telegraph

‘Students have been banned from accessing university emails and shut out from campus libraries after failing to pay rent, it has been revealed. Undergraduates at the University of Liverpool who live in university-owned accommodation and are unable to pay their rent on time are being handed “academic sanctions”, contrary to Competition and Markets Authority rules.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th January 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Retailers broke rules by listing real fur items as fake, ASA says – The Guardian

‘The UK advertising watchdog has criticised two retailers for “misleading” consumers by advertising fashion items made from real animal fur as fake or “faux”.’

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The Guardian, 9th January 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Climate change: ‘Right to repair’ gathers force – BBC News

‘It is frustrating: you buy a new appliance then just after the warranty runs out, it gives up the ghost.’

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BBC News, 9th January 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Energy suppliers to face tighter rules, says Ofgem – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2019 in consumer protection, energy, licensing, news by sally

‘Energy regulator Ofgem is to tighten up the rules for new suppliers of gas and electricity after nine new entrants ceased trading.’

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BBC News, 9th January 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Nuisance call bosses face £500,000 fines – BBC News

Posted December 17th, 2018 in bankruptcy, consumer protection, fines, news, nuisance, statistics, telecommunications by sally

‘Directors of firms that cold-call consumers can now be fined up to £500,000 under new rules that have come into force.’

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BBC News, 17th December 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog plans purge of rip-off rates for loyal broadband customers – The Guardian

Posted December 14th, 2018 in consumer protection, internet, news by tracey

‘The UK media regulator, Ofcom, is to crack down on broadband providers who rip off loyal customers by offering better deals to new subscribers.’

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The Guardian, 14th December 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Oxbridge applicants misled by personal statements company, Advertising Standards Authority rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 12th, 2018 in advertising, complaints, consumer protection, news, universities by sally

‘Oxbridge applicants purchasing £150 pre-written personal statement were misled after believing they could pass them off as their own work, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Watchdog hangs up on excessive directory inquiries charges – The Guardian

Posted November 28th, 2018 in consumer protection, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘The price of directory inquiries calls will be capped from April to protect consumers from excessively high charges, with some firms currently charging almost £20 for a 90-second call.’

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The Guardian, 28th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

City watchdog steps up its inquiries into ‘crypto’ firms – Daily Telegraph

‘As the price of the controversial “cryptocurrency” Bitcoin plunges, new figures show that the City watchdog is stepping up its investigations into the murky sector.’

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Daily Telegraph, 25th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Price cap plan to clamp down on high rent-to-own fees – The Guardian

Posted November 22nd, 2018 in consumer credit, consumer protection, fees, financial regulation, interest, news by tracey

‘The City watchdog has proposed a price cap on rent-to-own companies in a clampdown on “excessive charges” expected to save 300,000 vulnerable customers up to £22.7m a year.’

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The Guardian, 22nd November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

EE and Virgin Media fined £13.3m for overcharging customers – The Guardian

Posted November 16th, 2018 in consumer protection, contracts, fines, internet, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘Virgin Media and EE have been fined a combined £13.3m by the regulator Ofcom for overcharging nearly 500,000 phone and broadband customers who wanted to leave their contracts early.@

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The Guardian, 16th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com